Qualitative Research: An Overview

Qualitative research methods are increasingly gaining importance among researchers who want to conduct an in-depth study of a phenomena. Qualitative research stands in contrast with quantitative methods as it is not concerned with numbers, frequencies or generalization rather with people, their experiences and see them as unique case. The inquiry done through this method is exploratory, explanatory and more humane, which takes into consideration all the aspects and looks at a situation in totality. The aim is to study each case as a whole, and generalization is not the ultimate goal but understanding a person, his life, experiences and his perspectives.  This paper is an overview of qualitative research methods, its evolution, features, characteristics and various axioms of Naturalistic Inquiry. It also touches upon the themes and variations present in qualitative research. Thus, it gives a brief glimpse into theory and concept of qualitative research methods.